What’s the focus for Cultural Magazines in 2016? Community, partnerships and brand
On October 13–15, in the midst of Canadian Magazine Week in Toronto, the city hosted the world’s largest magazine media conference. Over 800 members of the international magazine industry attended the FIPP World Congress 2015. It was the first time the Congress had visited Canada, and the event offered Canadian delegates the opportunity to network with, and attend sessions by, heavyweights such as Time Inc., National Geographic, the Huffington Post and Kadokawa Corp.
Though smaller, domestic magazines gained some global perspective and learned about international marketing, licensing and collaboration opportunities by attending the Congress, their limited resources and unique challenges demand approaches quite different from those of larger brands. And so Magazines Canada, the national association of the magazine publishing industry, presented a one-day Cultural Magazines Summit on October 16.
Cultural magazines… give voice to the various, and too-often marginalized, groups within our society that yearn to be heard, recognized and understood.
Cultural magazines have an invaluable role in nurturing the arts in Canada. They act not only as springboards for new and emerging writers, photographers, translators, visual and performing artists, but also preserve and advance the conversation that defines our collective culture, adding to what it means to be Canadian and exporting that sensibility around the world. They give voice to the various, and too-often marginalized, groups within our society that yearn to be heard, recognized and understood.
Publication validates what writers and artists do. It gives them the confidence and self-respect to keep honing their skills and producing new works. The modest payments the contributors receive afford them time to continue with their craft, and reinforce that there is value in what they do. Magazines expose writers and artists not only to broader audiences, but also to publishers, agents, mentors and collaborators; they provide that all-important leg up.
Cultural magazine publishers are constantly challenged to innovate and diversify in order to reach and grow their niche markets.
With an average paid print circulation of just 2,300 copies/issue, cultural magazine publishers are constantly challenged to innovate and diversify in order to reach and grow their niche markets. The Cultural Magazines Summit was organized as a chance for cultural publishers and smaller circulation magazines to gather and focus on pressing issues and opportunities. The event – consisting of seven sessions and 13 speakers addressing topics such as brand extensions, creative collaboration, digital publishing, and multi-year planning – was a huge success, with 40 attendees from 27 different magazines from across Canada, along with representatives from the Canada Council and the Ontario Arts Council.
All publishers are aware of how the media landscape has shifted. The rise of smart phones in particular has resulted in print magazines no longer being the dominant platform. Now, more than ever, publishers have to concentrate on their brand and diversify their revenue base; they have to deliver content over every platform their audience is on, and that audience wants to share that content, whether it be podcasts, web blogs, or other digital initiatives. Everything – print, digital, social media, brand extensions (such as hosting an award or reading series), and ancillary products – must work together and provide that brand experience.
People want to belong to, and have a relationship with, a brand. Intimacy, warmth, and inclusivity are what build community, which is what ultimately sells magazines.
People want to belong to, and have a relationship with, a brand. Intimacy, warmth, and inclusivity are what build community, which is what ultimately sells magazines. Cultural magazine publishers can benefit greatly from looking around at other groups and individuals in their community and partnering with them to provide unique experiences.
Magazines must develop a solid digital strategy based on their individual niche and goals, embracing the social media where their audience’s conversation is taking place. Web content needs to be easily found, navigated and shared; it needs to be regularly released, relevant, sustainable, and always on brand. Content can be repurposed efficiently across platforms according to each platform’s own culture. Data analytics can help a magazine gauge what is working and what is not.
The latest Canada Council Benchmarks study is another indispensable source of information for cultural magazines, yielding both a snapshot of the industry as a whole, and a yardstick against which individual magazines can assess their expenses, revenues and circulation, and make informed decisions about future business plans. A rolling three-five year strategic plan, constantly consulted and updated, which outlines two-six goals, each of which is supported by measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound objectives, can be a powerful tool for decision-making and self-evaluation. Such a plan can guide an organization through periods of change, creating efficiencies and focusing resources toward a shared vision for the future.
Though there are serious challenges facing cultural publishers, the opportunities are many. Community, partnerships and brand are just three important areas for magazines to focus on until the next Cultural Magazines Summit, scheduled to be part of the national MagNet conference in 2017.
Magazines Canada received a Canada Council grant of $19,500 to assist with the cost of cultural magazine publishers attending FIPP and the Cultural Magazines Summit.
